The present invention relates to a printing unit with more easily removable components. More particularly, the invention relates to a flexographic printing unit with more easily removable cylinders.
It is known that printing units, for example for flexographic printing, are provided with a plurality of printing cylinders: a first cylinder is an inking cylinder which dips into an ink tray in order to draw ink for printing; a second cylinder is a cylinder on which the print to be transferred to paper or another medium is provided; and a third cylinder is the actual printing cylinder, against which the cylinder that bears the type (anilox roller) abuts in order to perform printing on the paper. Finally, a fourth cylinder arranged downstream of the printing cylinder allows to transport the printed paper from one printing unit to a subsequent printing unit or to the outlet at the end of the printing cycle.
Printing units require considerable maintenance both as regards the cleaning to which the various cylinders must be subjected and as regards replacement of the cylinders, particularly the printing cylinder, whose diameter can vary according to the requirements of the users.
Conventional printing units provide for different technical solutions in order to access the various cylinders of the printing unit and therefore be able to remove them.
However, one drawback that is shared by all conventional solutions is the fact that access to the various cylinders, for example the inking cylinder, requires removing not only all the remaining cylinders of the printing unit but also parts of the printing unit itself, with a consequent considerable expenditure of time and difficulty in operation.
This situation worsens if the printing units are arranged in succession and replacement, for example removal of the inking cylinder due to a color change, which accordingly entails cleaning said cylinder, must be performed for each printing unit.
It is easily understandable that a removal operation for a single printing unit which requires a significant amount of time is multiplied by each printing unit that composes the printing machine.